Assigning rank at a game to a group of players who may know each other is one thing. Many teams rank themselves based on military hierarchy structures but it would not be possible to rank players who didn't know each other on a side. If the General knows some players and gives them ranks like "company commander" or "executive officer", these are solely for the purpose of the game. I.O.N. at Skirmish made a great attempt to organize players who were strangers to each other into companys, and it worked, to a degree. There is only so much organization possible, however. At a certain point, everyone is going to have their own needs to be on or off the field, and as such, will not be around when their assigned group is supposed to do battle.

So - ranks are rarely given. Best advise is to listen to whoever is yelling loudest - as long as they are on your team.

I know Oklahoma D-Day does, people wear patches on their vest/jersey showing their rank and they wear pins on their mask too.

Rank is just for off the field, at D-Day people really get into the whole role-playing thing and address eachother as sir, general, captain, etc. On game day it really doesn't matter, just listen to the people that have plenty of paintball experience and seem to have a great understanding of what is going on with the game.

So yeah.. rank doesn't really mean anything. After all HearlessJersey is right, listen to who is trying to command everybody only if they look like they know what they are doing.

I know Oklahoma D-Day does, people wear patches on their vest/jersey showing their rank and they wear pins on their mask too.

Rank is just for off the field, at D-Day people really get into the whole role-playing thing and address eachother as sir, general, captain, etc. On game day it really doesn't matter, just listen to the people that have plenty of paintball experience and seem to have a great understanding of what is going on with the game.

So yeah.. rank doesn't really mean anything. After all HearlessJersey is right, listen to who is trying to command everybody only if they look like they know what they are doing.

Well said...
however, there might be the occasional exception for certain Role Players who have been assigned a "character" by the event producer. But even that would be more of a game roll than an actual rank that others would have to obey.
Personaly, Im only going to take orders from someone with a game issued ID card that actually says "Sergant" or something like that, or my own team Captain or Army General. Anyone else is just giving me a "suggestion"...I might play along just for kicks, but I certainly wouldnt feel obligated to.

At our scenario field comanders and squad leaders are the most we get into it. When I am general or squad leader i will tell the squad who will take my place if im out. Other then that, they chain of command usually falls to the most expeienced or informed person in the squad

Some of your more milsim based games have re-accuring officers every year, like the other poster mentioned D-Day. Now my experience may have been different then theirs but for the Commonwealth troops, rank was taken seriously on the field, not just off the field. These guys got these ranks because they know the game and have shown they can lead.

You move up in rank at these events by attending the event each year and distinguishing yourself on and off the field. Making it known that you want to take a more active role with leadership functions to the general or producer helps.

Rank During Game play is a Big thing at OK D-Day. These people who have rank are the ones that know whats going on and where ppl need to be and help with the event all year round with plans for the game the next year. Planning for the next year starts the day after the event

D-Day isn't the only event where you see people displaying rank, but it's probably the only one where you'll find people who've worked their way
up the chain of command.

Some of us, who work on the planning side do more than just plan where everyone needs to go during the event. Things like setting up a supply chain, communications nets and even tracking who has or doesn't have
a water bladder are all aspects which come into play at D-Day.

To properly manage all those details it's important to have people who are
as dedicated to playing a role behind the scenes as most are to carrying
a gun or driving a tank. Getting the average player to understand that is harder still.

Rank is just for show in my opinion, but inner team relations may depend on ranks.

Most teams, successful ones that is, have some sort of rank structure
even if it's just to note who the captain is. When you begin to play in
events where you're faced with dozens and perhaps hundreds of players
per side, you've got to have a means to determine who makes the calls.
You might give those folks titles or ranks, the results are the same.

If you'd like to see this taken to its absolute limit, come and spend some
time with us at D-Day. With better than 2,500 players on the allied side
and nearly 2,000 Germans you find that flipping a coin to pick the leaders
just doesn't cut it.

ranks are actually very disrespectful to wear. If you didnt earn it, then dont wear it. Brave heroes of our Country earned them.

I would have to disagree.
Although falsely claiming to be (for example) a sergeant in the US Army would indeed be disrespectfull, as long as someone is clear that their "rank" apllies only to a private organization like a paintball team, I dont see the problem.

Theres a difference between claiming an un-earned military rank, and belonging to a group that simply uses a similar ranking system.

Your "titles" and "degrees", although very important and earned, hardly equate to the sacrifice of what someone in the military has to achieve before earning the right to wear the uniform. Sometimes that sacrifice is life or death.

If someone "poses" about their "earned" degree, what is lost? What has been devalued? This isn't to say that a degree doesn't come with a lot of hard work, but the insult is on your academia.

Posing in uniform insults the blood of lost commrads, the sacrifice of thousands of Soldier, Sailors, Marines and Airmen that defined what being in the service is all about. It insults the honor of those who fought for the freedom of those who were oppressed, who put their very lives on the line so that others could become free, so our very way of life isn't interrupted.

Rank is earned and comes with a load of responsibility every pay grade.

No one is saying "you can't", or "don't have the right", but be advised, wearing such items are going to attract the attention of those on the line who view this kind of behavior unfavorably.

I don't feel it shows disrespect when I wear my WWII uniform during the conduct of the events I take part in, any more than others do when they appear as actors in a movie or participants in staged re-enactments.

I can only speak for myself when I say that wearing a uniform carries with it the burden to always act accordingly, as befits the unform and rank. At no time do I ever attempt to pass myself off as someone who has served in the armed forces. I also make it a point to wear the uniform or rank only as necessary to identify myself as a staff member during the event.

I understand your point, & agree in principle...but I think you're taking the game a little too seriously...
I have yet to meet or even speak to a Vet or active duty soldier/sailor who had a problem with paintball ranks (including several members of my own team).
Remember, we're talking about SCENARIO paintball, a game with a strong element of historical role-playing involved. Are you suggesting that playing a D-Day or Vietnam based scenario game and/or assuming the role of a historical person or unit for a particular event is somehow disrespectfull to those who where really there?
Does a large, well organized scenario team have to make up different words to describe the roles of its members on the field?
"Sergeant", "Captain", even "General" are just terms that describe a persons job title or function in a group...and plenty of organizations other than the US Military have used them for literally hundreds of years.

I have no problem with someone wearing some ACU's and playing paintball..but when you go out there and actually have a Unit patch that isn't paintball related, and rank when your not even a service member it shows disrespect.

point is, If you didn't earn it..then you shouldn't wear it. It's a respect thing. For those who fought for our country.